Anniversary
70 years of the “Archives of Civil Engineering”
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the “Archives of Civil Engineering.” The history of our journal reflects the changes in the broadly understood development of Polish science in the field of civil engineering. Initially, the aim was to constantly publish new Polish achievements in engineering and construction sciences as well as bridge the gap between theory and the practical needs of the construction industry. Currently, it serves as a forum for the exchange of scientific ideas among civil engineers worldwide.
In the autumn of 1951, the Committee of Civil Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences included in the agenda of its meeting the matter of a permanent publication of a quarterly titled "Archiwum Inżynierii Lądowej". The first issue was scheduled for 1955 and was meant to be published in Polish.
At that time, two bodies were established: the Editorial Committee, which directly organized the work within the editorial office, and the Editorial Board, whose task was to shape the publishing policy of all journals operating in the field of civil engineering. Furthermore, the Editorial Board also served a supervisory role in these journals (e.g., by evaluating the scientific quality of published articles). This system functioned with minor adjustments until 2014, although the Editorial Board was active intermittently (from 1955 to 1970 and 1990 to 2014).
The membership of both bodies naturally changed over the years. Several people participated in the Editorial Committee's work, enriching the quarterly work with their experience and knowledge. Among the Editors-in-Chief, there were respectively:
1. Władysław Kuczyński (1955–1972 and 1977–1981),
2. Zbigniew Kączkowski (1972–1977),
3. Czesław Eimer (1981–1982),
4. Andrzej M. Brandt (1982–1991),
5. Ryszard Kowalczyk (1991–1992),
6. Wojciech Radomski (1992–2008),
7. Wojciech Gilewski (2008–2014),
8. Henryk Zobel (2014–present).
Their pictures are presented below.
In the first three years (1955-1957) of the existence of the “Archives of Civil Engineering,” eight issues were published (including four double issues) with a total volume of 110 publishing sheets containing 41 papers. Due to growing interest, it was decided to increase the volume of the journal to 40 publishing sheets per year. Unfortunately, this was not achieved until 1965. Only in the following decade, the volume was increased to 60 publishing sheets per year.
The events of March 1968 led to profound changes both in university education and in the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN). As a result, the PAN Presidium passed a resolution to dissolve the Editorial Boards of PAN journals, including the journal of the Committee of Civil Engineering, "Archiwum Inżynierii Lądowej", effective January 1, 1969. As a consequence of this decision, the role and scope of the Editorial Committee changed; however, it continued to be appointed by the Secretary of Division IV of PAN upon the recommendation of the Committee of Civil Engineering.
In July 1971, Editor-in-Chief Wacław Kuczyński proposed a journal reform, the main element of which would be a complete transition to publishing in congress languages. This proposal not only had financial implications but also aligned with the changes that emerged in Poland in the early 1970s. It affected the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) publishing policy, including the Committee of Civil Engineering, which in 1972 was expanded to include Water Engineering. It was also established that the Secretary of Division IV of PAN would appoint the Editorial Committee for the next term of office, which lasted three years in the 1970s and 1980s.
In 1973, the journal's publisher, the Committee of Civil and Water Engineering (KILiW), evaluated for the period 1971-72 construction-related journals published by both PAN and universities, including "Archiwum Inżynierii Lądowej". Their conclusions primarily concerned the volume of publications and possibly publishing in congress languages.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the journal, a comparative analysis of publications was conducted, categorized by scientific disciplines and research centers. Overall, there was a 20% increase in the number of publications when comparing the first decade with the second. In 1975, the number of publishing sheets was 60, but the average article length decreased from 2.06 sheets to 1.11. While Warsaw was the dominant center at the beginning of the journal’s existence, after 20 years, there was a significant increase in the number of articles from Kraków, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Gliwice, and Poznań. Additionally, contributions began to emerge from new institutions such as Białystok, Opole, Lublin, and Koszalin. An interesting aspect is the dominance of publications in the field of structural mechanics.
In the 1980s, the number of submitted publications continued to decline. Delays in printing the quarterly journal also worsened, primarily due to financial difficulties faced by the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), which was behind on payments to PWN (State Scientific Publishers). Further radical political changes in Poland that began in 1989 also affected the functioning of the journal. Subsequent Editorial Committees, with changing memberships, endeavored to keep pace.
The most important step made in 1992 was firstly the decision to publish papers solely in English and change its name from Polish “Archiwum Inżynierii Lądowej” to English "Archives of Civil Engineering" (ACE) as we know it today. Secondly, it was decided to expand the Editorial Committee to include international members. The goal was to "internationalize" ACE and allow for contributions from foreign authors. During this period, the downward trend in the number of submitted and published articles was halted. The delays in the publication of the quarterly journal were practically eliminated. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the circulation ranged from 250 to 350 copies. The editorial office benefited from the facilities and technical staff of the Institute of Fundamental Technological Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN). At the same time, the journal was published by PWN (State Scientific Publishers). The funding came from Division IV of PAN, and since 1995, also from the proceeds of conferences organized with the Committee of Civil and Water Engineering (KILiW) participation. Interestingly, the Editorial Committee worked without remuneration, and the authors did not receive royalties for their publications.
During 2003-2006, financial difficulties at PAN became apparent, resulting in progressively reduced funding from Division IV. The collaboration with PWN ceased, and cooperation with PAN’s printing house deteriorated. Nevertheless, the quarterly publication system was maintained. In total, 132 articles were published during this term, including 15% from foreign authors.
During 2007-2010, ACE continued to be published regularly despite increasing financial challenges. A total of 124 articles appeared. This term is also marked by the introduction of a system for awarding points to journals, which is the consequence of implementing employee evaluation systems and the evaluation of scientific institutions. With constantly changing scoring systems, successive Editorial Committees fought an uphill battle to maintain high score points. Due to the lack of financial support from PAN Division IV, the Editor-in-Chief, upon the decision of KILiW made at the plenary meeting on December 10, 2010, moved the editorial office to the Kielce University of Technology.
During 2008-2014 ACE was published owing to the financial support of several state universities offering programs in civil engineering studies. Then it became available in electronic version in the “open-access” formula initially on the Versita platform and later on de Gruyter, as well as in the so-called Reading Room of Periodicals of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Due to constant mounting formal, financial, and technical difficulties, in 2014, KILiW made further decisions to relocate the editorial office to the Warsaw University of Technology with the consent of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at that institution.
From 2014 up to now, ACE operated at the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Warsaw University of Technology (WIL) in collaboration with De Gruyter, with only symbolic support from Division IV of the Polish Academy of Sciences. This period was used for a complete overhaul of the operational system. A fee was introduced for authors to enable the publication of their articles. The journal was included in citation databases, with Web of Science and Scopus being the most significant. ACE is also indexed in several other databases, particularly Asian ones. A dedicated website was created. For several years, the journal has achieved the maximum allowable number of articles per issue, i.e., 40 articles. ACE is published regularly in digital format while maintaining a "print" edition for marketing purposes. Annually, 160 articles are published, about 35% of which are authored by researchers from 28 countries. The rejection rate for articles is around 25%. Each article is reviewed by at least two reviewers, primarily from approximately 600 reviewers covering 31 construction disciplines.
It is worth mentioning that the journal has a Scientific Advisory Committee, one-third of whose members are scientists from 15 different countries. The average waiting time for an article to be published is about one year. In addition to freely sourcing articles from around the world, the editorial office establishes agreements with conference organizers, whose Scientific Committees select papers that, after expanding the content to meet ACE's requirements, may be published in the quarterly journal.
Currently, the journal has developed a new, effective form of collaboration model with the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), sharing responsibilities across various stages of the publishing process.
From 2014 to 2019, the Editorial Team included Alicja Karpińska, Ewa Łukaszuk, and Henryk Zobel (Editor-in-Chief). The publishing and financial management was handled by the Publishing House of the Warsaw University of Technology, while De Gruyter provided online services.
Since 2020, the editorial office has included Anna Pogorzelec (who left in 2021), Dorota Walesiak, Ludomir Szubert, and Henryk Zobel (Editor-in-Chief). The Publishing House of the Warsaw University of Technology manages the publishing of the print version. In contrast, the Office for the Promotion of Science and Publications the Polish Academy of Sciences handles the digital version and online article placement.
Overall, over its 70 years of existence, the “Archives of Civil Engineering” has undergone numerous changes, adapting to evolving economic and political realities. Over the years, the journal has evolved to meet the growing demands and expectations of the scientific and technical communities. Today, it is a significant forum for exchanging scientific and technical ideas in civil engineering, geodesy, and transportation, both in Poland and internationally.
Compiled by:
Prof. Henryk Zobel
Prof. Wojciech Radomski
Warsaw University of Technology
Translated by:
Dorota Walesiak
ACE Editorial Office
In the autumn of 1951, the Committee of Civil Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences included in the agenda of its meeting the matter of a permanent publication of a quarterly titled "Archiwum Inżynierii Lądowej". The first issue was scheduled for 1955 and was meant to be published in Polish.
At that time, two bodies were established: the Editorial Committee, which directly organized the work within the editorial office, and the Editorial Board, whose task was to shape the publishing policy of all journals operating in the field of civil engineering. Furthermore, the Editorial Board also served a supervisory role in these journals (e.g., by evaluating the scientific quality of published articles). This system functioned with minor adjustments until 2014, although the Editorial Board was active intermittently (from 1955 to 1970 and 1990 to 2014).
The membership of both bodies naturally changed over the years. Several people participated in the Editorial Committee's work, enriching the quarterly work with their experience and knowledge. Among the Editors-in-Chief, there were respectively:
1. Władysław Kuczyński (1955–1972 and 1977–1981),
2. Zbigniew Kączkowski (1972–1977),
3. Czesław Eimer (1981–1982),
4. Andrzej M. Brandt (1982–1991),
5. Ryszard Kowalczyk (1991–1992),
6. Wojciech Radomski (1992–2008),
7. Wojciech Gilewski (2008–2014),
8. Henryk Zobel (2014–present).
Their pictures are presented below.
 Władysław Kuczyński 1955–1972 and 1977–1981 |  Zbigniew Kączkowski 1972-1977 |
 Czesław Eimer 1981–1982 |  Andrzej M. Brandt 1982–1991 |
 Ryszard Kowalczyk 1991–1992 |  Wojciech Radomski 1992-2008 |
 Wojciech Gilewski 2008-2014 |  Henryk Zobel 2014-present |
In the first three years (1955-1957) of the existence of the “Archives of Civil Engineering,” eight issues were published (including four double issues) with a total volume of 110 publishing sheets containing 41 papers. Due to growing interest, it was decided to increase the volume of the journal to 40 publishing sheets per year. Unfortunately, this was not achieved until 1965. Only in the following decade, the volume was increased to 60 publishing sheets per year.
The events of March 1968 led to profound changes both in university education and in the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN). As a result, the PAN Presidium passed a resolution to dissolve the Editorial Boards of PAN journals, including the journal of the Committee of Civil Engineering, "Archiwum Inżynierii Lądowej", effective January 1, 1969. As a consequence of this decision, the role and scope of the Editorial Committee changed; however, it continued to be appointed by the Secretary of Division IV of PAN upon the recommendation of the Committee of Civil Engineering.
In July 1971, Editor-in-Chief Wacław Kuczyński proposed a journal reform, the main element of which would be a complete transition to publishing in congress languages. This proposal not only had financial implications but also aligned with the changes that emerged in Poland in the early 1970s. It affected the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) publishing policy, including the Committee of Civil Engineering, which in 1972 was expanded to include Water Engineering. It was also established that the Secretary of Division IV of PAN would appoint the Editorial Committee for the next term of office, which lasted three years in the 1970s and 1980s.
In 1973, the journal's publisher, the Committee of Civil and Water Engineering (KILiW), evaluated for the period 1971-72 construction-related journals published by both PAN and universities, including "Archiwum Inżynierii Lądowej". Their conclusions primarily concerned the volume of publications and possibly publishing in congress languages.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the journal, a comparative analysis of publications was conducted, categorized by scientific disciplines and research centers. Overall, there was a 20% increase in the number of publications when comparing the first decade with the second. In 1975, the number of publishing sheets was 60, but the average article length decreased from 2.06 sheets to 1.11. While Warsaw was the dominant center at the beginning of the journal’s existence, after 20 years, there was a significant increase in the number of articles from Kraków, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Gliwice, and Poznań. Additionally, contributions began to emerge from new institutions such as Białystok, Opole, Lublin, and Koszalin. An interesting aspect is the dominance of publications in the field of structural mechanics.
In the 1980s, the number of submitted publications continued to decline. Delays in printing the quarterly journal also worsened, primarily due to financial difficulties faced by the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), which was behind on payments to PWN (State Scientific Publishers). Further radical political changes in Poland that began in 1989 also affected the functioning of the journal. Subsequent Editorial Committees, with changing memberships, endeavored to keep pace.
The most important step made in 1992 was firstly the decision to publish papers solely in English and change its name from Polish “Archiwum Inżynierii Lądowej” to English "Archives of Civil Engineering" (ACE) as we know it today. Secondly, it was decided to expand the Editorial Committee to include international members. The goal was to "internationalize" ACE and allow for contributions from foreign authors. During this period, the downward trend in the number of submitted and published articles was halted. The delays in the publication of the quarterly journal were practically eliminated. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the circulation ranged from 250 to 350 copies. The editorial office benefited from the facilities and technical staff of the Institute of Fundamental Technological Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN). At the same time, the journal was published by PWN (State Scientific Publishers). The funding came from Division IV of PAN, and since 1995, also from the proceeds of conferences organized with the Committee of Civil and Water Engineering (KILiW) participation. Interestingly, the Editorial Committee worked without remuneration, and the authors did not receive royalties for their publications.
During 2003-2006, financial difficulties at PAN became apparent, resulting in progressively reduced funding from Division IV. The collaboration with PWN ceased, and cooperation with PAN’s printing house deteriorated. Nevertheless, the quarterly publication system was maintained. In total, 132 articles were published during this term, including 15% from foreign authors.
During 2007-2010, ACE continued to be published regularly despite increasing financial challenges. A total of 124 articles appeared. This term is also marked by the introduction of a system for awarding points to journals, which is the consequence of implementing employee evaluation systems and the evaluation of scientific institutions. With constantly changing scoring systems, successive Editorial Committees fought an uphill battle to maintain high score points. Due to the lack of financial support from PAN Division IV, the Editor-in-Chief, upon the decision of KILiW made at the plenary meeting on December 10, 2010, moved the editorial office to the Kielce University of Technology.
During 2008-2014 ACE was published owing to the financial support of several state universities offering programs in civil engineering studies. Then it became available in electronic version in the “open-access” formula initially on the Versita platform and later on de Gruyter, as well as in the so-called Reading Room of Periodicals of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Due to constant mounting formal, financial, and technical difficulties, in 2014, KILiW made further decisions to relocate the editorial office to the Warsaw University of Technology with the consent of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at that institution.
From 2014 up to now, ACE operated at the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Warsaw University of Technology (WIL) in collaboration with De Gruyter, with only symbolic support from Division IV of the Polish Academy of Sciences. This period was used for a complete overhaul of the operational system. A fee was introduced for authors to enable the publication of their articles. The journal was included in citation databases, with Web of Science and Scopus being the most significant. ACE is also indexed in several other databases, particularly Asian ones. A dedicated website was created. For several years, the journal has achieved the maximum allowable number of articles per issue, i.e., 40 articles. ACE is published regularly in digital format while maintaining a "print" edition for marketing purposes. Annually, 160 articles are published, about 35% of which are authored by researchers from 28 countries. The rejection rate for articles is around 25%. Each article is reviewed by at least two reviewers, primarily from approximately 600 reviewers covering 31 construction disciplines.
It is worth mentioning that the journal has a Scientific Advisory Committee, one-third of whose members are scientists from 15 different countries. The average waiting time for an article to be published is about one year. In addition to freely sourcing articles from around the world, the editorial office establishes agreements with conference organizers, whose Scientific Committees select papers that, after expanding the content to meet ACE's requirements, may be published in the quarterly journal.
Currently, the journal has developed a new, effective form of collaboration model with the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), sharing responsibilities across various stages of the publishing process.
From 2014 to 2019, the Editorial Team included Alicja Karpińska, Ewa Łukaszuk, and Henryk Zobel (Editor-in-Chief). The publishing and financial management was handled by the Publishing House of the Warsaw University of Technology, while De Gruyter provided online services.
Since 2020, the editorial office has included Anna Pogorzelec (who left in 2021), Dorota Walesiak, Ludomir Szubert, and Henryk Zobel (Editor-in-Chief). The Publishing House of the Warsaw University of Technology manages the publishing of the print version. In contrast, the Office for the Promotion of Science and Publications the Polish Academy of Sciences handles the digital version and online article placement.
Overall, over its 70 years of existence, the “Archives of Civil Engineering” has undergone numerous changes, adapting to evolving economic and political realities. Over the years, the journal has evolved to meet the growing demands and expectations of the scientific and technical communities. Today, it is a significant forum for exchanging scientific and technical ideas in civil engineering, geodesy, and transportation, both in Poland and internationally.
Compiled by:
Prof. Henryk Zobel
Prof. Wojciech Radomski
Warsaw University of Technology
Translated by:
Dorota Walesiak
ACE Editorial Office
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| eISSN: | 2300-3103 |
| ISSN: | 1230-2945 |
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